


Road to Ruin

by xenoglossia (oncharredwings)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blood, Blood and Gore, Gore, I'm Sorry, M/M, Murder, Pain, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombie Shiro, this does not have a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 01:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13648653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncharredwings/pseuds/xenoglossia
Summary: “I’m not giving up on you,” Keith snarled and tore his own stained shirt to wrap around Shiro’s wound. “You didn’t give up on me and I refuse to leave you here.”Shiro took a sharp breath through his nose and winced when Keith wrapped his arm tight. “I won’t be able to control myself, you can’t trust me… I don’t want to become one of those things. Keith.” Shiro placed his large hand over Keith’s much smaller one. “Promise me, you’ll take me out before I become one of those things.”Keith looked Shiro in the eye. “I promise.”“You swear? Don’t lie to me, Cadet.” Shiro smirked just a little.Keith continued to look Shiro in the eye and lie. “I swear.”





	Road to Ruin

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, this was inspired by a conversation with Ris on tumblr. It was written really quick lol so I apologize for any mistakes.

Of all the things to happen to them at the end of the world, Keith never imagines Shiro would have been the one to go down. Careful, tactful, smart, and cautious Takashi Shirogane could not and would not become one of them. The thought too improbable it sounded like a fairy tale made up to scare children from going beyond the wall. 

But the day had come. 

“Shiro,” Keith gasped as he slid down next to his friend, hands pressed to the wound along his arm. “Shiro… No…” 

Shiro stared up at him with a faint smile upon his face. The infection would set in and he would turn and they both knew there was no going back now. “Leave me,” Shiro said firmly. “That’s an order, Cadet.” 

Keith shook his head fiercely and fought back a wave of tears that left his chest tight. The air smelled acrid with the dead surrounding them. They were the only ones left alive from their team, at least, for now. The others were dead and beyond saving, but Keith knew the government was searching for a cure. 

“I’m not giving up on you,” Keith snarled and tore his own stained shirt to wrap around Shiro’s wound. “You didn’t give up on me and I  _ refuse _ to leave you here.” 

Shiro took a sharp breath through his nose and winced when Keith wrapped his arm tight. “I won’t be able to control myself, you can’t trust me… I don’t want to  _ become _ one of those things. Keith.” Shiro placed his large hand over Keith’s much smaller one. “Promise me, you’ll take me out before I become one of those things.” 

Keith looked Shiro in the eye. “I promise.” 

“You swear? Don’t lie to me, Cadet.” Shiro smirked just a little. 

Keith continued to look Shiro in the eye and lie. “I swear.” 

* * *

Shiro seemed to turn almost overnight after a week passed. They went to sleep one night in an empty house with Shiro literally chained to a heavy piece of furniture and in the morning, Keith woke up to find Shiro frantically trying to break free and making enough noise to rouse other zombies nearby. They shuffled outside in anticipation of their new fallen brother.

“Shiro,” Keith hissed and grabbed the chain he’d placed around Shiro’s neck. “Stop that.” 

Shiro whirled around and Keith could see his mouth had turned black and his teeth seemed to rot and change in his head. Eventually, the craving for human flesh would be too great and Keith would have to find a way to feed him. 

The promise he’d made Shiro a week ago returned to his mind and guilt flooded him as he thought on how he’d lied, but he couldn't kill Shiro. Not when they could find a cure and everything could return to normal. 

The zombies outside continued to scratch at the windows and doors, while Keith grabbed the chain and pulled Shiro along toward the back door. He shuffled behind, grunting and screeching, trying to break free, but Keith kept tugging him along.

“Shiro, stop,” he begged quietly as they walked. The mission to take Shiro to the nearest science facility was a suicide mission, but Keith had to try. The other zombies clearly confused, but they didn’t follow, probably too distracted by something else that popped up. 

People feared them, but they weren’t the brightest opponents and easily killed. One shot to the head and they would drop, which had always been to Keith’s advantage until now. Anyone could kill Shiro now and Keith knew he had to be on his toes to keep Shiro safe. Shiro continued to fight the chain until he gave up and just shuffled behind Keith dumbly with only moans and grunts as he did. 

Keith swallowed and kept walking. 

They would find a cure. Together.

* * *

_ What kind of person have you become _ ?

Keith tried not to think as his knife did the work. It was just like preparing any other kind of meat, except it wasn’t. The girl had died on the end of his blade, but she’d been infected and had begged him for release. Keith remembered the look of relief on her face when he’d slid his knife between her ribs and pierced her heart. Shiro was chained up but the longer he’d gone without food, the more rabid he’d become and Keith had already almost been bit twice. 

Part of him wondered if he should just  _ let _ Shiro bite him. Then they could just be together. As zombies, yes, but they would at least be together. 

Keith shook his head and continued to dismember the corpse. He couldn’t think of the corpse as who she had been before he’d found her. She was a corpse now and nothing more than zombie fodder. Keith knew the zombies liked the brains the most, but he didn’t have the heart to take it that far, but once he’d managed to extract enough fleshy organs, he wrapped them in a cloth and carried them back to where he’d left Shiro.

Shiro snarled and lunged at him, but the chain kept him from going too far. He snapped and glared, his eyes dead and no longer Shiro’s. The man he’d loved no longer existed. Keith swallowed and tossed the bloody, cloth wrapped organs Shiro’s way and watched as Shiro eagerly tore into them without a blink. He snarled and screamed and ate them up like a starving animal. 

Keith fell back a few steps and let Shiro feast, fighting back tears. Letting Shiro loose was not an option, which meant keeping food on hand so Keith didn’t become next on the menu. “Shiro,” he whispered, which drew Shiro’s gaze, but Keith wasn’t sure it was because he’d made a sound or because Shiro still existed somewhere inside. “It’s Keith… It’s me…. Please… I know you’re in there somewhere. I  _ know _ . You can  _ fight _ this. You’re Takashi Shirogane. We’ve known each other for years. Please.”

Shiro went still and stared at him, unblinking, and Keith thought he’d managed to break through. Maybe zombies were still human inside and just needed someone to remind them of who they were. Could it really be that simple? 

Keith smiled at him but Shiro bared his teeth and returned to eating. His shoulders fell and Keith sighed, leaning back against the brick wall of the alley they’d hidden in.  _ You’re an idiot, Keith Kogane _ .  _ Takashi Shirogane is dead and he’s never coming back. There is no cure.  _

A few tears ran down Keith’s face like rivers returning to a deep and lonely ocean. He listened to Shiro feast and mentally prepared himself to cross lines he’d never thought would ever be broached before this happened. There was no forgiveness for the path Keith knew he was now taking, but he wouldn’t change his mind now. 

 

* * *

The first time Shiro bit Keith was an accident – at least, Keith figured it was an accident. He’d gotten too close while feeding Shiro scraps of corpses he’d found along the way, still having qualms about murdering  _ living _ people for Shiro’s sake. The bite happened vicious but quick, right along his hand, piercing his palm through the leather gloves he wore.

“Fuck!” Keith yelled, smacking Shiro on the side of the head to make him fall back. 

Shiro hissed but he slid back to his corner with his scraps and ate them, the chain rattling with every movement. The wound was ugly and disgusting, just like all zombie bites. He took a steadying breath and knelt to his pack on the ground to wrap the wound with some cloth and medical supplies he’d managed to snag from an abandoned pharmacy. The dread of knowing he was going to turn now, too, made his stomach coil and tighten. 

Yes, Keith would now be with Shiro, but there was no one now who could protect Shiro. He was Shiro’s  _ only _ chance and hope, but he’d gotten too careless. For weeks, Shiro had never once attempted to truly attack him, and Keith wasn’t sure why. In his heart, Shiro stayed docile because Shiro still remembered him, but Keith knew it was probably because he had Shiro on a chain and was the only one feeding him.

Shiro, for all intents and purposes, had become his zombie pet. He also occasionally wiped zombie guts and blood on his skin so Shiro didn’t  _ quite _ know if he was alive or like him. It also helped him walk through crowds of zombies without being attacked. Always risky, but he couldn’t risk one of them taking him or Shiro down. 

The warehouse they were sheltered in for the night was blissfully empty, but the night was cold and Keith felt too afraid to light a fire. He huddled under a raggedy blanket from his pack and kept clear of Shiro for the evening. Shiro shuffled around for restlessly for the entire night, dragging the chain across the concrete floor. The sound didn’t help ease Keith’s nerves as he wondered how quickly he’d turn. Some people turned hours later, some people took longer, like Shiro. 

Since he was fairly fit and healthy, Keith had a feeling it would be a long process. He’d slowly lose his faculties and the hunger would take over his brain. He’d lose his memory. He wouldn’t remember Shiro at all. The realization of knowing he would forget Shiro felt like a punch to the proverbial gut. Keith gasped and sobbed into the blanket as quietly as possible. 

“No,” he whispered out loud. Keith shifted his shirt and slowly pulled out Shiro’s dog tags and stared at the name glinting in the dim light. 

__ Takashi Shirogane  
__ 02-29-1991  
_ AB Pos  
_ __ Unaffiliated

Keith swallowed back a lump and tears, running his thumb along Shiro’s name staring back at him. The chain rattling nearby made Keith glance over his shoulder and saw Shiro sitting and looking up at the upper levels. A frown creased Keith’s brow; he’d never seen Shiro  _ sit _ as a zombie. He was always constantly moving, walking, standing, shuffling, but never sitting. He almost looked  _ normal _ , like the old Takashi he’d known before hell had broken loose across the globe. 

“Shiro?” he called, his voice hoarse from lack of use. Without Shiro to talk to, Keith mostly remained quiet. Shiro didn’t look at him and change positions so Keith sighed and returned to looking over the dog tags.

Time passed and Keith realized too late he must have dozed. The sound of zombies shuffling and yelling woke him completely and he shifted slowly to peer around the pillar his back laid against. There was a group of them looking at Shiro like he was a new species. His heart leaped in his throat as the other zombies started to try and free him. They pulled at the chain around his throat and grunted at each other in a way that Keith had never seen before. Were they  _ communicating _ ? 

Keith shifted slowly and quietly, counting at least five surrounding Shiro and trying to help him. Shiro snarled and grunted in turn, also trying to free his neck from the chain. When they had arrived the night prior, Keith had tied the ends around a pillar to keep Shiro in check, which meant he had to go into their sight to unchain Shiro and try to extricate them. 

The wound around his hand throbbed as a reminder. Shiro had bitten his right hand, which while he was ambidextrous, his right had always been his knife hand. The blade in question slowly slid into the palm of his left while Keith slowly crouched into attacking position. 

Five zombies. 

One Takashi Shirogane and one Keith Kogane with a zombie bite wound. 

There was only one thing to lose and that was Shiro – Keith refused to lose Shiro. 

He launched from his place behind the pillar and ran at the zombies with a yell, making them all startle. Keith plunged his knife into the skull of the closest one, while he felt Shiro paw at his clothes, which he had no choice but to kick Shiro in the face to break free.  _ I’m sorry _ , he thought while slashing his knife across one zombie throat and then the next. 

Two more remained but they were retreating, which was also something he’d never seen zombies do. Keith remained breathing raggedly, his head tilted to the side in contemplation. Zombies fleeing from him had a sense of self preservation, which he had never seen prior to now. Were they evolving? Changing? They had been talking to Shiro earlier or at least communicating with him. 

“Shiro.” Keith spun on his heel and sighed as he saw Shiro already helping himself to the nearest dropped zombie’s guts. He rolled his eyes. “Great. You get breakfast and what do I get? No thanks. At all.” 

* * *

The second time Shiro bites Keith it’s less accident and more Keith testing a theory.

He cut his arm and shoved the bloody flesh under Shiro’s nose and the bite that followed hurt like hell, but like the other bite, in three days time, it was healed and the only remnants were scars. He’d never met someone  _ immune _ to the bite, but apparently, he was a first. 

_ Am I the cure _ ? He thought to himself and wondered briefly if Shiro was injected with his blood enough times if he’d simply return to being alive again. The thought sounded like a line from a dystopian fiction novel, but Keith supposed  _ life _ had turned into a dystopian fiction novel. 

They were currently hiding out in an abandoned house of a nice suburb. He’d checked a few of the other houses, found some canned goods and two packages of snack cakes. Little Debbies casually surviving the end of the world. Shiro was sitting again on the couch staring at the broken television and not moving, but it was better than having to keep Shiro constantly chained to pieces of architecture. 

Keith thought back to when Shiro had first turned and realized he had no idea how long it had been since he’d first become a zombie. Time seemed to stretched out behind him like a map he no longer could read. Everything scribed written in a dead language Keith didn’t know or understand. THe questionable things he had to do in Shiro’s name seemed so normal now. Just last week he’d shot a soldier for Shiro’s consumption. He’d been alone and had asked Keith for help. 

The way he’d raised his gun and taken the man out without a second thought left him cold all over. Everything had to eat, he’d argued with himself, but he’d never thought he would reach a place where he destroyed in Shiro’s name without thinking. 

Shiro was his road to ruin.

“You know,” Keith said to Shiro who grunted as if in response. “You’re going to fucking turn me into a monster, too.” 

_ You already are one _ , he thought solemnly.  _ You’re a monster and the worst part is, you have a choice, and he doesn’t. He can’t help how he is. _

Keith sighed and began to dress another wound he’d received from Shiro’s teeth. “I know you wanted me to end your life, Shiro before you became like this but… I hope you can understand, somewhere in there, that I did this because I have hope that one day, you won’t have to be like this anymore. One day, you’ll be able to be yourself again. I just… I hope you can forgive me when that day comes.” 

There was a groan from Shiro’s place on the couch. Keith smiled and cracked open the can of beans he’d managed to find in one of the houses. He’d save the Little Debbie for last. 

* * *

“He’s not a  _ pet _ .”

_ I know _ , Keith thought solemnly. 

“You can’t just keep one! You have to  _ kill _ it before it kills you!” 

_ His name is Takashi Shirogane _ . 

“Keith, are you even listening?!” 

“Yes,” Keith replied, his voice dull and solemn.

Meeting up with someone had not been on Keith’s to do list, but when he’d come across Hunk and Lance, old friends of his from his Garrison days, he’d been unable to resist talking with them. The problems came when they’d asked him what he was doing in the town and if he needed shelter. Keith did need shelter, but he’d had no choice but to tell them about Shiro. 

“I thought I could trust you,” Keith said quietly, still standing over Shiro protectively. 

Lance and Hunk both had guns, but Keith had knives and he knew he could throw them with dangerous accuracy faster than either of them could pull triggers. Keith knew Lance and Hunk knew that, too. No one moved, while Shiro feasted on a corpse behind them. 

“Keith, it’s no longer your friend,” Hunk said slowly. “It’s a zombie… It’s going to make  _ you _ its next meal.” 

“No,” Keith said sharply. “He’s only attacked me on accident, he’s never done it on purpose.” 

“ _ Accident _ ? Dude! You’re on the menu!” Lance yelled, but Hunk hushed him when Shiro startled and turned to look at them with wild gray eyes. 

“Keith, are you saying it’s bit you before?” Hunk asked. 

Keith rolled up his sleeve to show them the scar on his arm. There was more than one now. “Several times,” he replied calmly. “I’m immune.” 

“What the  _ fuck _ ,” Lance whispered. His eyebrows rose and he stared with shock and then anger. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You’re immune but no one else is! I lost my whole family to those fucking things, but you’re walking around with one on a leash!” 

“Lance, please…” Hunk placed a heavy hand on Lance’s thinner shoulder. “Keith, we can’t protect him.” 

“You mean you  _ won’t _ ,” Keith snarled darkly. “I’m trying to get him to a place where they can find a cure. I might be part of that cure and… I… I can’t just leave him. Okay? I…” Keith looked back at Shiro, who still watched them with curious eyes. “I love him.” 

“ _ Ugh _ ,” Lance said, pulling a disgusted face, but Hunk nudged Lance’s ribs sharply. 

“Whoever he used to be, Keith,” Hunk said slowly. “He’s not that person anymore… he’s not even a  _ person _ , anymore, surely you can see that.” 

“It was stupid to think you’d understand.” Keith turned away and picked up the end of Shiro’s chain. “If you follow me, I’ll kill you.” 

“Keith. Please, wait!” Hunk called. “We could use your help!"

“No,” Keith snarled darkly, urging Shiro along. 

“Keith!” 

Keith ignored Hunk’s pleas, just kept walking and Shiro shuffled behind. He knew Hunk was right, but the road was long and he couldn’t stop, think, or look back and consider his choices. They’d already come so far and there was no stopping this now. Keith took a deep breath and shoved his shoulders back, holding his head high.  _ Anything for Shiro _ , he told himself over and over.  _ Nothing is worth his pain and I’m going to fix this _ . 

* * *

“I miss talking to you, Shiro,” Keith whispered as they sheltered in an empty apartment. “I miss listening to your stupid jokes and stories. I miss  _ you _ .”

Shiro kept munching on a discarded arm. 

“Are you in there somewhere? I saw you talking to those zombies before… You don’t try to kill me. Why? Is it because you know who I am? What  _ we _ were before all of this?” Keith kept his distance and Shiro stayed chain up just in case. Even he wasn’t that insane. 

The memories of his first kiss, first time, and first romance were all with Shiro. They were an accident waiting to happen, a tragedy written by some Greek poet who had a star-crossed lovers kink. Commander Shiro and his Cadet Keith – they shouldn’t have ever worked, but Shiro brought him calming energy and he’d always helped Shiro loosen up. 

Shiro had been his beloved mentor and guiding light. Tears filled Keith’s eyes as he watched Shiro eat bits of flesh and bone. This wasn’t Shiro and Keith knew that; there was no cure. There was nothing he could do except try and keep Shiro alive until Shiro realized Keith really was on the menu. 

“You’re going to kill me,” Keith whispered. “I just hope you make it quick.” 

Shiro didn’t answer, he just kept crunching and ripping flesh. 

“I love you, Takashi.” Keith pulled out Shiro’s dog tags and held them in his palm while he tried to sleep. 

* * *

Of all the things to happen to them at the end of the world, Keith expected to be the one to go down.

He took risks where he should have followed protocol. He cared for the mission more than for his own life. The fact that Shiro had been the one to turn first still stunned him every day, but he knew all good things came to an end eventually. 

The wound to the gut felt appropriate as he fell to the ground from the gunshot wound. Accidental, he was sure, in hindsight. There was a fight in the pharmacy and he just happened to be a byproduct of a bad crossfire. Keith stared up at the ceiling and felt every bit of pain wracking his body and nerves. Breathing and every movement send his head spinning. He placed a hand over the wound and felt a gush of blood flood his fingers. 

Maybe Shiro wasn’t going to be his end, but a fucking gunshot was his end. Irony. 

As if he’d summoned him, Shiro appeared in his vision, and Keith knew that look. The look of rabid hunger. He stared up at Shiro and felt his eyes filled with tears. “I spoke too soon,” he whispered, just as Shiro’s fingers dug into his wound. Keith tried not to scream and the last thing he remembered was the look on Shiro’s face when he wrapped blood fingers in his hair and brought his head up to slam into the concrete.

* * *

Memories locked away inside the skulls of victims helped make Shiro feel human again. As he dug into the skull of the boy who had been keeping him on a chain, Shiro caught flashes of his memories and began to remember his name.

_ “I’m Takashi Shirogane, I’ll be your instructor. I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself against a zombie attack. Now, our part of the city has been fairly safe since the virus outbreak, but we may not always be so lucky.”  _

_ Keith watched as Shiro paced across the gym and kept his spine as straight as he could. He always wanted to impress his commander, but the smirk on his lips became almost too much, especially when Shiro turned to face his squad. Shiro paused and Keith winked at him.  _

_ …  _

_ “You really shouldn’t have done that,” Shiro whispered against his ear, while their lips sought each other in desperation. “Going to get me in trouble one day, Cadet.”  _

_ Keith laughed. “You love it.”  _

_ Shiro paused and smiled, pressing their foreheads together. “I do. You’re right. I love you, Keith Kogane.”  _

_ “I love you, too, Shiro.” _

_ …  _

_ “Hey, Cadet, wait up.”  _

_ Keith slowly turned to look as Shiro jogged to catch up to him. The rain was coming down hard and his uniform was soaked, while Shiro stood under an umbrella. The water helped wash the blood from his face where he’d taken a fist to the face for being accused of cheating on test scores.  _

_ “It’s Keith,” he snapped angrily. _

_ Shiro held the umbrella out until they were both shielded from the rain. “I know. I’m sorry… I just wanted to check on you. I saw those kids… Are you alright?”  _

_ “Fine.”  _

_ “Keith..” _

_ “I said I'm fine, Shiro- I mean… Sir.” Keith looked away and tried not to stare at the scar across Shiro’s face. Supposedly from a zombie attack.  _

_ “It’s okay. We’re not in class.” Shiro chuckled and offered him a pair of fingerless, leather gloves. “I saw your hands slip on the knives earlier. These will help. Used to be mine, but they don’t fit anymore.”  _

_ Keith accepted the gloves slowly. “Thanks…”  _

_ “You’re welcome.”  _

_ …. _

_ “Shiro!” Keith ran and threw his arms around Shiro’s neck, not caring who saw them. “I thought I lost you.”  _

_ “I’m fine,” Shiro grunted. “Just a scratch.”  _

_ A mission almost went wrong. No one knew if Shiro and his crew would return, but they were here, Shiro’s arm in a sling. Keith had never felt more thankful. He didn’t care who saw them.  _

_ “I should have been there to save you,” Keith hissed before kissing Shiro firmly on the lips. Someone wolf whistled.  _

_ “And how many times are you going to try and save me?” Shiro asked with a laugh. _

_ “As many times as it takes.” _

…. 

Shiro turned his eyes down to the ruined skull and face of Keith Kogane and  _ remembered _ . They were in love. Keith was his world and life. They’d done everything to save one another, to keep each other going. Something wet slid down his cheeks and Shiro reached up to realize he was crying.

“ _ K… Ke– ith _ ,” he gasped, picking up his lover’s lifeless form and holding him to his chest. There were more soldiers coming.

Maybe, they’d be together soon.


End file.
